His story opened with a talent discovered and closed with the talent destroyed. With the final chapter ending in his death on September 12, 2023, is the story of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, also known as Mohbad or Imole (Light). Ilerioluwa was born in the small town of Oke Eletu, Ikorodu, Lagos State, on June 8, 1996.
With a childhood nestled with scars of little beginnings, Ilerioluwa’s hustling spirit began as a youngster.
In an interview he had some years back, Mohbad revealed that he diligently saved every bit of money he earned from carpentry work and used it to book studio time to record songs. This dedication to his craft eventually led him to the spotlight and success in the music industry.
He rose to fame in December 2020 through his collaborative hit song: “KPK (Ko Por Ke),” with renowned record producer, Rexxie. His follow-up single: “Feel Good,” released the next year, became a street anthem in Nigeria and many African countries.
Before then, Mohbad had signed a recording deal with Marlian Music, owned by controversial Nigerian rapper, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley, in 2019. The terms and duration of the deal still elude the public.
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Fallout with Marlian Music
Trouble began for Mohbad when he opted out of Marlian Music in October 2022. The late singer had called out the record label boss, Naira Marley, on social media severally for allegedly leading an assault against him following his request for a new manager. He shared video proofs of injuries he sustained from the alleged assault via his X handle back then.
He formally exited the label in a letter dated October 25, 2022, signed by O.M. Falade, his lawyer. In the letter, Mohbad alleged “violent physical attacks” on him and a“threat to life” from Marley. He cited the non-fulfilment of the terms of the contract signed in 2019 when he joined the record label while also accusing the label of refusing to pay him his royalties from monetised intellectual content and advances as mutually agreed since 2019.
Battle with depression
Mohbad became depressed after he was allegedly threatened by his former record label, Marlian Music. He was also said to be regularly hounded by hoodlums sponsored by the label.
The late rapper also alleged that his family was being threatened. The constant threats and intimidation took a toll on his mental health. His friend and frequent collaborator, Bella Shmurda, revealed that Mohbad once attempted suicide.
Yet, the “Feel Good” crooner continued to make his fans happy with his talent while enduring a career that was painfully robbed of the same.
Wife’s revelation
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Hours after Mohbad’s sudden death, his wife, Omowunmi, took to social media to express grief over his demise, explaining how hard she tried to make him stay alive. She disclosed that their son, Liam, just clocked five months on September 12, the same day the singer passed away.
The 24-year-old wrote: “We had so many plans. Two responsibilities have now become one. You were my ride or die. I tried to make you stay Ilerioluwa.” She lamented how their son “would only grow to know his father through the internet”.
Sam Larry’s connection
Barely 24 hours after Mohbad’s death, a video surfaced online where popular socialite and Marlian Music boss, who is also Naira Marley’s associate, Samson Balogun, aka Sam Larry, and others were seen disrupting a video shoot of the late rapper somewhere in Lagos. In the clip, Mohbad and Zlatan Ibile could be seen shooting a music video when the armed men invaded the location, advancing to harm the former but were being prevented by the latter.
Soon after, a letter from Mohbad informing the Nigeria Police Force of the threat to his life surfaced. The petition alleged that Mohbad was attacked at a video shoot on June 25, 2023 by Sam Larry and 15 others, all armed, who wreaked havoc on the place, destroying equipment worth over N5 million and assaulting the singer who “narrowly escaped with injuries”.
The petition further alleged that the armed men who disrupted Mohbad’s video shoot claimed that they worked for a Lagos monarch, the Elegushi of Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, Oba Saheed Elegushi.
However, the Lagos Annex, Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force September 14, 2023 said it could not act on Mohbad’s petition due to his refusal to come up and adopt, defend and also provide evidence to support the allegations he made. The Police Public Relations Officer, FCID Annex, Lagos, Oluniyi Ogundeyi, noted that a lawyer to Sam Larry and the other suspects also wrote a counter-petition against Mohbad, alleging defamation of character, after the singer failed to show up to defend his case.
Currently, Mohbad’s fans across Nigeria have been staging out peaceful protests in different cities, including Ughelli in Delta State; Adoekiti in Ekiti State; Abeokuta, Ogun; and Ikeja in Lagos State. They want the Nigeria Police to get justice for Mohbad and bring those who contributed to his death to books.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
. Akinyemi, a graduate of Mass Communications from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, is currently a National Youth Service Corps member serving in Ogun State.
